Surface-Treated Steel Sheet, Organic Resin Coated Metal Container, and Method for Producing Surface-Treated Steel Sheet

ABSTRACT

Provided is a surface-treated steel sheet with a compound layer containing F and composed essentially or Zr at least on one surface thereof, wherein the Zr amount is 80 to 350 mg/m 2  and the F amount is 0.5 to 10 mg/m 2  within the layer, and an organic resin coated metal container manufactured using the surface-treated steel sheet. The surface-treated steel sheet of the present invention is manufactured through forming a layer having the Zr amount of 80 to 350 mg/m 2  at least on one surface of a steel sheet by cathode electrolytic treatment in an aqueous solution containing a Zr ion and F ion, and subsequently adjusting the surface to control the F amount to 0.5 to 10 mg/m 2  by one or more treatments selected from immersion and spraying with an ion-containing aqueous solution and cathode electrolytic treatment in the ion-containing aqueous solution.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Technical Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a surface-treated steel sheet, anorganic resin coated metal container, and a method for producing thesurface-treated steel sheet.

2. Description of the Related Art

In the fields of home electric appliances, building materials, vehicles,aircrafts, and containers, etc., chromate treatment is conventionallyknown as the treatment to improve adhesiveness between a steel sheet andorganic coating. For its excellent corrosion resistance andadhesiveness, the chromate treatment has been widely used. There are twotypes to the chromate treatment: the first type includes hexavalentchromium within a layer and the second type does not include hexavalentchromium. In recent years, from the viewpoints of environment andoccupational health, there is a growing trend to prohibit inclusion ofhexavalent chromium even in starting materials themselves regardless ofthe state of the final product if the starting materials use.

For materials of metal containers such as cans and can lids, needless tosay, the second chromate treatment type where hexavalent chromium doesnot remain in final products is used. Generally, coating of organicresin, etc., is further performed thereto. For example, a tin-platedsteel sheet for which a cathode electrolytic treatment is performed inan aqueous solution of dichromate sodium, a steel sheet for which acathode electrolytic treatment is performed in a fluoride-containinganhydrous chromic acid aqueous solution, or an aluminum alloy for whichchromium phosphate treatment is performed, which is further coated withan organic resin is used.

Metal containers such as cans and can lids are often subjected to hotwater retort treatment for the purpose of sterilization of theircontents. For this reason, the materials are exposed to severeenvironments and thus there is a problem that adhesion between anorganic resin coating and metal surface may deteriorate easily. In thepast, many studies have been made to solve the problem. Currently, for atin plate and electrolytic chromic acid treated steel sheet or the likeused as the material for cans, with an aim of improving adhesiveness inhot water, a technique of making a metal surface excellent inadhesiveness to an organic coating by performing warm water washing orhot water washing in the last step of surface treatment to controlelution of anions such as sulfate ions and fluorine ions within thetreating coating is used (Non-patent Document 1: History of coated steelsheets for cans in Japan, published by The Iron and Steel Institute ofJapan, issued on Oct. 31, 1998, last line in p. 87 to p. 90, and PatentDocument 5: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 1995-11483).

In recent years, as a non-chromium type surface treatment which has beenstudied for its application on steel sheet materials, there has beenproposed an immersion treatment using a processing liquid containing Zr(zirconium) or Ti (titanium) (Patent Document 1: InternationalPublication No. WO 2002/103080). However, a surface-treated steel sheetprepared by Zr or Ti immersion treatment is insufficient in its coatingcorrosion resistance. Further, because its layer deposition speed isslow compared to an electrolytic chromic acid treated steel sheet (TFS)which has been conventionally used as a material for cans, there is aproblem of significant deterioration in productivity. For these reasons,as a high-speed treatment process to take over immersion treatment,there have been proposed Zr and/or Ti treatment and/or Al treatment byapplying cathode electrolytic treatment. Each of these treatments isknown for its high speed for generating a metal-oxygen compound on abase material surface (Patent Documents 2: Japanese Patent ApplicationPublication No. 2004-190121, Patent Documents 3: Japanese PatentApplication Publication No. 2005-97712, and Patent Documents 4: JapanesePatent Application Publication No. 2006-348360).

Moreover, as a method to improve adhesiveness of a metal-oxygen compoundlayer to an organic resin layer, there has been disclosed a techniquerelated to a manufacturing method of a steel sheet for containers with achemical conversion layer, where the Zr metal amount is from 1 to 100mg/m² and the F amount is 0.1 mg/m² or less, by forming a metal-oxygencompound layer containing oxygen compounds of Zr on a base material andthen washing the surface of the metal-oxygen compound layer with hotwater of 80° C. or more (Patent Document 6: International PublicationNo. WO 2012/036200).

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

When an objective is to improve corrosion resistance of a base materialby generating a metal-oxygen compound layer of which the mainconstituent is a metal-oxygen compound of metal, such as Zr, Al and Tidirectly onto the metal-base-material surface without preparing ametal-plated layer, the thickness of the coating (coating amount) shouldbe made larger compared to a case where metal-plated layer is generated.Particularly, in an application to seamless cans to which intenseprocessing is performed, the metal of the base layer may easily beexposed by processing or adhesiveness to an organic resin may easily belowered. For these reasons, it has been demanded to secure corrosionresistance by increasing the coating amount, and at the same time, toimprove adhesiveness to the organic resin.

In addition to the above aspects related to adhesiveness, there isanother problem to be solved with the present invention, that is, toprevent elution of constituents of a metal container to its content. Itis very important for the metal container to maintain the quality of itscontent and special attention should be paid to the elution ofconstituents of the metal container to its content. In general, typicalexamples of elution are elution of metal by corrosion and elution ofanions such as a sulfate ion and a fluorine ion in the layer. Therefore,attention should be paid not only to the pH and sterilization conditionsof the content, but also to many things such as the coating amount andshape of the surface in the metal surface treatment, and adhesiveness toan organic resin coating such as a film or coating film.

In Patent Document 5, an example of improvement in adhesiveness bywashing the surface of the metal-oxygen compound layer on themetal-plated layer with hot water is disclosed. However, when a largecoating amount as above is required, we have found that washing of theelectrolytic chromic acid treated steel sheet, which is conventionallyused, is insufficient in order to achieve the target surface treatmentcharacteristics and suppression of elution. Furthermore, we have alsofound that when diverting a conventional electrolytic chromic acidtreatment line, because washing that is even longer than theconventional washing is required, there are many problems such asproductivity load and energy-use load, etc., in other words, restrictionin an operation speed of the surface treatment line, increase in thenumber of treatment tanks for washing, and use of a large volume of hotwater, etc.

The present invention is made in view of the above problems, and anobject is to provide a surface-treated steel sheet having excellentadhesiveness to an organic resin layer and corrosion resistance when anorganic resin layer is formed on its surface, an organic resin coatedcontainer having excellent adhesiveness to an organic resin andresistance to fluorine elution, and a method for producing thesurface-treated steel sheet.

Means for Solving Problems

According to the present invention, a surface-treated steel sheet with acompound layer containing F and composed essentially of Zr at least onone surface of the steel sheet, wherein the Zr amount is 80 to 350 mg/m²and the F amount is 0.5 to 10 mg/m² within the layer is provided.

Further, according to the present invention, an organic resin coatedmetal container manufactured using the surface-treated steel sheet isprovided.

Furthermore, according to the present invention, a method for producingthe surface-treated steel sheet for forming a compound layer containingF and composed essentially of Zr at least on one surface of the steelsheet, including forming a layer where the Zr amount within the layer is80 to 350 mg/m² by performing a cathode electrolytic treatment to thesteel sheet in an aqueous solution containing a Zr ion and F ion, andsubsequently adjusting the surface to control the F amount within thelayer to 0.5 to 10 mg/m² by performing any one or more treatmentsselected from immersion to the ion-containing aqueous solution, sprayingof the ion-containing aqueous solution, and cathode electrolytictreatment in the ion-containing aqueous solution is provided.

For the method for producing the surface-treated steel sheet of thepresent invention, it is preferable that:

1. the ion-containing aqueous solution in adjusting the surface is analkaline aqueous solution containing one or more types of ions selectedfrom a sodium ion, ammonium ion, and potassium ion, and2. the pH of the ion-containing aqueous solution in adjusting thesurface is 9 or more.

Further, according to the present invention, a method for producing thesurface-treated steel sheet for forming a compound layer containing Fand composed essentially of Zr at least on one surface of the steelsheet, including forming a layer where the Zr amount within the layer is80 to 350 mg/m² by performing cathode electrolytic treatment to thesteel sheet in the aqueous solution containing a Zr ion and F ion, andsubsequently adjusting the surface to control the F amount in the layerto 0.5 to 10 mg/m² by performing spraying and/or immersion with water of90° C. or more to the steel sheet is provided.

According to the present invention, when an organic resin layer isformed onto the surface, a surface-treated steel sheet having excellentadhesiveness to the organic resin layer and excellent corrosionresistance can be provided. Also, an organic resin coated metalcontainer having excellent adhesiveness to an organic resin andresistance to fluorine elution, and a method for producing thesurface-treated steel sheet can be provided. In particular, according tothe present invention, a surface-treated steel sheet capable ofpreventing peeling of the organic resin layer even when processing andheat treatment are conducted after forming an organic resin layer on itssurface, and suppressing elution of the metal material componentsconstituting the container even when there is a crack in the organicresin layer and a metal surface is in the exposed state under a wetenvironment, an organic resin coated metal container using thesurface-treated steel sheet, and a method for producing thesurface-treated steel sheet are provided. Moreover, if the step ofadjusting the surface with ion-containing aqueous solution according tothe present invention is used, hot water conventionally used to cleanthe electrolytic chromic acid treated steel sheet can be changed to warmwater or room-temperature water. Therefore, a method for producing thesurface-treated steel sheet that has a shorter processing time comparedto a case where only hot water washing is used and with excellent energyload characteristics can be provided.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The surface-treated steel sheet of the present invention is asurface-treated steel sheet with a compound layer containing F andcomposed essentially of Zr at least on one surface of the steel sheetand it is important that the Zr amount within the layer is 80 to 350mg/m² and the F amount is 0.5 to 10 mg/m².

It is important that the organic resin coated metal container of thepresent invention uses the surface-treated steel sheet.

Also, the method for producing the surface-treated steel sheet of thepresent invention is a method for producing the surface-treated steelsheet with a compound layer containing F and composed essentially of Zrformed at least on one surface of the steel sheet, and it is importantthat the method includes the steps of forming a layer where the Zramount within the layer is 80 to 350 mg/m² by performing a cathodeelectrolytic treatment to the steel sheet in an aqueous solutioncontaining a Zr ion and F ion, and subsequently adjusting the surface tocontrol the F amount within the layer to 0.5 to 10 mg/m² by performingany one or more treatments selected from immersion to the ion-containingaqueous solution, spraying of the ion-containing aqueous solution, orcathode electrolytic treatment in an ion-containing aqueous solution.

Further, it is preferable that the ion-containing aqueous solution inthe step of adjusting the surface is an alkaline aqueous solutioncontaining one or more types of ions selected from a sodium ion,ammonium ion, and potassium ion, and the pH of the ion-containingaqueous solution in the step of adjusting the surface is 9 or more.

The method for producing the surface-treated steel sheet of the presentinvention is also a method for producing a surface-treated steel sheetfor forming a compound layer containing F and composed essentially of Zrat least on one surface of the steel sheet. It is important that themethod for producing the surface-treated steel sheet includes the stepsof forming a layer to form a layer where the Zr amount within the layeris 80 to 350 mg/m² by performing a cathode electrolytic treatment to thesteel sheet in an aqueous solution containing a Zr ion and F ion, andsubsequently adjusting the surface to control the F amount within thelayer to 0.5 to 10 mg/m² by performing spraying and/or immersion withwater of 90° C. or more to the steel sheet.

The surface-treated steel sheet obtained according to the presentinvention is generally formed with an organic resin layer on top of ametal compound layer on the surface and used as a material for metalcontainers such as a can.

In the following, the surface-treated steel sheet, the organic resincoated container using the surface-treated steel sheet, and the methodfor producing the surface-treated steel sheet according to the presentinvention are described.

Compound Layer Containing F and Composed Essentially of Zr

It is considered that a compound layer containing F and composedessentially of Zr has a non-crystalline structure such asZrO_(x)(OH)_(Y-Z)F_(Z). By drying and baking, the layer is dehydratedand also F is eliminated, and it changes to an oxidized layer containingmany crystalline components. As heating proceeds, the layer isconsidered to become a layer close to ZrO₂. However, excess heating thatexceeds a heat history that a can material receives in general, leads toinduce a crack in the layer due to a structural change and also thelayer becomes more a ceramic-like layer and thus causes a decrease inprocessability and also in adhesiveness to a resin layer. Therefore,excess heating is not preferable. For these reasons, it is preferablethat, basically, most part of the layer remains a structure such asZrO_(x)(OH)_(Y-Z)F_(Z) where least required F and OH basically remain.

Over a long period of time, we have investigated relationships of layercomponents such as the Zr amount and F amount with cross-cut resistance,and with adhesiveness to a coating resin. As a result, we have foundthat a layer with a large Zr amount and where its F amount is controlledto an appropriate range is necessary for these characteristics and thuscame up with the present invention.

As for the plating amount of a metal compound formed at least on onesurface of a steel sheet, the Zr amount of 80 mg/m² or more, andpreferably 100 mg/m² or more is required. When the Zr amount is lessthan 80 mg/m², cross-cut resistance after organic resin coating andadhesiveness to an organic resin after retorting are insufficient. Also,when the Zr amount exceeds 350 mg/m², a layer is deposited excessively,and not only is it uneconomical, but also adhesiveness at processinggradually decreases, that it is not preferable.

Decrease in adhesiveness to a resin coating film during retorting is dueto elution of layer components and generation of alkali by a cathodereaction, and it is considered to induce interfacial separation betweenthe coated resin and metal layer. Therefore, it is important to suppresselution of F from the layer by eliminating F that exists excessively inthe layer, and to secure coatability of the layer and not to allowcathode reaction as a reverse reaction to the anode reaction to occureasily by increasing the Zr amount. On the other hand, when the F amountis decreased excessively, structural change of the layer is induced, andleads to a decrease in cohesive force of the layer, which becomes thecause of a decrease in corrosion resistance during cross-cut testingwith the resin coated metal sheet.

After various investigations, it was found that the required Zr amountin the surface-treated layer formed on a base material is at least 80mg/m² or more, and more preferably, 100 mg/m² or more. When the Zramount is less than 80 mg/m², cross-cut resistance after organic resincoating and organic resin adhesiveness after retorting becomeinsufficient. Whereas, when the Zr amount exceeds 350 mg/m², a layer isdeposited excessively, and not only is it uneconomical, but alsoadhesiveness at processing gradually decreases as the Zr amountincreases, that it is not preferable to coat Zr over 350 g/m².

On the other hand, the F amount in the surface-treated layer needs to becontrolled to 10 mg/m² or less. When the F amount exceeding 10 mg/m²exists excessively in the layer, a structural change may occur in a partof the layer structure by hydration during hot water sterilizationtreatment such as retorting, leading to a state where F as an excessanion existing in the layer can elute easily, and becomes the cause of adecrease in adhesiveness to the resin coating due to elution of thelayer components. However, at the same time, excessive decrease of Fshould be avoided as described above. The F is an active componentessential for the layer, and with the F amount of less than 0.5 mg/m², astructural change in the layer proceeds by hydration and causes cohesiveforce of the layer to decrease and the corrosion resistance decreases.

Organic Resin Coated Metal Container

In the present invention, as described in the following, forms of anorganic resin coating and metal container are not particularly limited.However, a polyester resin coated seamless can manufactured byprocessing the precoated surface-treated steel sheet coated with apolyester resin is most preferably used in the light of adhesiveness toan organic resin coating film, resistance to elution of metal componentsconstituting the container, and cross-cut resistance.

Method for Producing a Surface-Treated Steel Sheet Step of Forming aLayer

First of all, the present invention is a method for producing asurface-treated steel sheet, and in a step of forming a layer, acompound layer containing F and composed essentially of Zr is formed atleast on one surface of a steel sheet, so as to have a Zr amount of 80to 350 mg/m², by performing a cathode electrolytic treatment to thesteel sheet in an aqueous solution containing a Zr ion and F ion. Thesteel sheet after formation of a compound layer is washed with waterafter having squeezed out an electrolytic solution with rolls, and sentto the next step of adjusting the surface after having further squeezedout the wash water. Also, the steel sheet may be sent to the next stepof adjusting the surface without washing with water after havingsqueezed out the electrolytic solution with rolls.

The electrolytic treatment liquid used in the step of forming a layercontains a Zr ion and F ion as essential components as mentioned above.Further, an electrolytic treatment liquid used in the step of forming alayer may contain components other than the Zr ion and F ion, such as anitrate ion and ammonium ion used for pH adjustment, etc., and a Fe ionwhich is an eluted component from the base material.

A chemical agent to generate a Zr ion constituting the electrolytictreatment liquid is not particularly limited. For example, K₂ZrF₆,(NH₄)₂ZrF₆, (NH₄)₂ZrO(CO₃)₂, H₂ZrF₆, ZrO(NO₃)₂, ZrO(CH₃COO)₂, etc., canbe used. In the present invention, the above mentioned chemical agentscan be used singly or in a combination of two or more.

Further, when forming a Zr compound layer by a cathode electrolytictreatment, generally, a treatment solution containing a F ion inaddition to the above Zr ion is preferably used as the electrolytictreatment liquid. By including a F ion in the electrolytic treatmentliquid, the F ion acts as a complexing agent to enhance solubility ofthe Zr ion within the electrolytic treatment liquid. As a result, a Zrcompound of a uniform film thickness can be deposited onto the basematerial. Accordingly, adhesiveness between the layer and organic resinlayer can be improved. When F in the electrolytic treatment liquid isfew, local depositing of Zr occurs and the layer becomes a state wherethick-layer part and thin-layer part are mixed and uniformity of layerthickness becomes unsatisfactory. Consequently, the layer becomes alayer with unsatisfactory adhesiveness and corrosion resistance afterprocessing. Therefore, in the step of forming a layer, it is importantthat the mole ratio of F/Zr (the mole ratio of F to Zr) in the layer becontrolled so as to make the mole ratio of F/Zr to 0.6 or more.

For the chemical agent to generate a F ion in the electrolytic treatmentliquid, for example, but not particularly limited to, ammonium zirconiumfluoride, aluminum fluoride, titanium fluoride, sodium fluoride,ammonium fluoride, hydrofluoric acid, calcium fluoride,hexafluorosilicic acid, and sodium hexafluorosilicate, etc., can beused. In particular, an agent with high water solubility is preferable.

Further, to the electrolytic treatment liquid, in the light of improvingconductivity in the treatment solution and adjusting pH of the treatmentsolution, an electrolyte such as a nitrate ion and ammonium ion or thelike may be added to the extent of not hindering the formation of a Zrcompound layer.

Additionally, in the electrolytic treatment liquid, one or more types ofadditives selected from such as an organic acid including citric acid,lactate, tartaric acid, glycolic acid or the like, and a polymercompound including polyacrylic acid, polyitaconic acid, phenol resin orthe like may be added. In the present invention, by adding an additivesuch as an organic acid and phenol resin to the electrolytic treatmentliquid, an additive such as organic acid and phenol resin can beincluded to a Zr compound layer formed. Consequently, flexibility isprovided to the metal oxygen compound layer and adhesiveness to theorganic resin layer can be further improved.

A current density for a case where a cathode electrolytic treatment isperformed to the base material is preferably, but not particularlylimited to, 1 to 30 A/dm².

Also, when performing a cathode electrolytic treatment to the basematerial, it is preferable to use the intermittent electrolysis methodwhere a cycle of “energization and stop of energization” is repeated.When using the method, the total energization time for the base material(the total energization time when the cycle of “energization and stop ofenergization” is repeated for several times) is preferably 0.3 to 20seconds.

Further, when performing a cathode electrolytic treatment to the basematerial, any sheet that does not dissolve into the electrolytictreatment liquid during the cathode electrolytic treatment can be usedas a counter electrode sheet set to the base material. However, from theviewpoint of not dissolving easily to the electrolytic treatment liquiddue to small oxygen overvoltage, a titanium sheet coated with iridiumoxide is preferable.

Step of Adjusting the Surface

Next, in the step of adjusting the surface of the present invention, thesurface-treated steel sheet obtained by forming a compound layercontaining F and composed essentially of Zr in the step of forming alayer, is subjected to any one or more treatments selected fromimmersion to the ion-containing aqueous solution, spraying of theion-containing aqueous solution, or cathode electrolytic treatment inthe ion-containing aqueous solution, and the F amount within the layeris controlled to 0.5 to 10 mg/m². Then, the steel sheet is washed afterhaving squeezed out the ion-containing aqueous solution from the steelsheet, washed with water, and then dried with hot air, etc., afterfurther having squeezed out the wash water with the rolls.

Also, in the step of adjusting the surface in another embodiment of thepresent invention, the surface-treated steel sheet obtained by forming acompound layer containing F and composed essentially of Zr onto the basematerial in the step of forming a layer, is subjected to spraying and/orimmersion treatment with water of 90° C. or more to control the F amountwithin the layer to 0.5 to 10 mg/m² by the treatment. Following this,the steel sheet is squeezed with rolls and then washed with water, andfurther squeezed with the rolls and dried. However, if the treatment isperformed only with water at 90° C. or more, 3 seconds for surfaceadjustment is insufficient to make the F amount within the layer withinthe range of 0.5 to 1.0 mg/m² as described in a Comparative Example.

The step of adjusting the surface has the following two meanings. If thestep of adjusting the surface is not followed, a container formed into acan after coating with resin causes structural change by hydration,though only gradually, in a part of the layer structure during ahot-water sterilization treatment process such as retorting. This leadsto a state where excessive anions existing in the layer such as OH and Fcan elute easily into the content.

Thus, the first meaning is to reduce the excess anions in the layer inthe step of adjusting the surface before resin coating is performed asthe material for a can. In the step of adjusting the surface, includingone or more types of ions selected from Na⁺, NH₄ ⁺, and K⁺ to an aqueoussolution is effective in efficiently eliminating F as these ions caneasily bond with an anion, F.

Further, it is preferable to make the pH of the aqueous solution itselfto alkaline in the step of adjusting the surface. By doing this, the Fin in the layer can easily exist in the form of free F ions and not inthe form of complex ions and can be more efficiently eliminated. The pHof the ion-containing aqueous solution in the step of adjusting thesurface is preferably 9 or more.

As above, with the step of adjusting the surface, the F amount can becontrolled to 10 mg/m² or more.

Further, the second meaning is not to reduce F excessively. A reasonableamount of F is an active component necessary for the layer and when theF does not exist or exist in excessively small amount, a structuralchange of the layer by hydration proceeds easily and leads to a decreasein the cohesive force of the layer, and induces a decrease in corrosionresistance of the surface-treated layer. Therefore, control of the Famount to 0.5 mg/m² or more in the step of adjusting the surface isnecessary.

Here, an influence of the Zr amount in the layer is further explained.In general, as the Zr amount increases, the amount of F contained in thelayer also increases. Thus, the larger the Zr amount, the more F in thelayer needs to be eliminated in the step of adjusting the surface, andit is preferable that the layer is processed in an aqueous solutionwhere one or more types of ions selected from Na⁺, NH₄ ⁺, and K⁺ arecontained. Also, the total amount of Na⁺, NH₄ ⁺, and K⁺ ions containedin the aqueous solution is preferably 0.001 mol/L or more, morepreferably 0.01 mol/L or more, and further preferably 0.02 mol/L ormore. More, the pH of the aqueous solution is preferably 9 or more. Onthe other hand, in the light of a reaction speed and pH control of theion-containing aqueous solution, the pH is preferably controlled to lessthan 14.

Furthermore, by performing cathode electrolytic treatment in theion-containing aqueous solution, the effect obtained by eliminating F inthe layer becomes greater than when only immersion is performed. Fromthe viewpoint of efficiency, it is preferable to have a greater electricconductivity in the ion-containing aqueous solution used in a cathodeelectrolytic treatment, but preferably, the electric conductivity is atleast 2 mS/cm or more. However, as described above, when the pH of theaqueous solution in the step of adjusting the surface is raisedexcessively high or when the length of energization time or currentdensity in the cathode electrolytic treatment is increased too much, thelayer becomes a layer that hardly contains F and the cohesive force ofthe layer decreases, thus attention should be paid to the control of theF amount.

An ion source used of the ion-containing aqueous solution used in thestep of adjusting the surface is not particularly limited, but an ionsource that indicates alkalinity, such as ammonia, ammonium zirconiumcarbonate, sodium hydroxide, sodium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate,sodium phosphate, dibasic sodium phosphate, potassium hydroxide,potassium carbonate, and sodium borate, etc., is preferable. Further,among these, the one with high water solubility is more preferable.Also, it is further preferable to provide a buffer action to the ionsource by combining two or more types of alkali and alkalinity compoundsuch as by adding sodium hydroxide to a sodium carbonate aqueoussolution. As for a buffer solution, such as ammonia-ammonium chloride,sodium hydrogen carbonate-sodium carbonate, sodium hydrogencarbonate-sodium hydroxide, disodium hydrogen phosphate-sodiumhydroxide, potassium chloride-sodium hydroxide, borate-potassiumchloride-sodium hydroxide, and glycine-sodium hydroxide, etc., can beused.

Also, various types of surfactants and chelating agents can be added tothe ion-containing aqueous solution as needed.

In the step of adjusting the surface, the temperature of theion-containing aqueous solution is not particularly limited, butpreferably 40° C. or more, and more preferably 60° C. or more. Also, thetotal treatment time for immersion, spraying, cathode electrolytictreatment with the ion-containing aqueous solution is preferably 0.5 to5 seconds, and more preferably within 0.5 to 3 seconds.

Moreover, it is preferable to perform a cathode electrolytic treatmentfor the ion-containing aqueous solution in the step of adjusting thesurface.

Furthermore, in the step of adjusting the surface, treatment with theion-containing aqueous solution and immersion or spraying with warmwater or hot water of around 40° C. to 95° C. may be both performed.

As above, according to the present invention, a method for producing thesurface-treated sheet can be obtained.

As above, a surface-treated steel sheet obtained using the method forproducing the surface-treated steel sheet obtained according to thepresent invention is, when an organic resin layer is formed on itssurface, has excellent adhesiveness to the organic resin layer. Also,after formation of the organic resin layer, even when retort treatmentis conducted after fabricating and filling up of the content areperformed, the surface-treated steel sheet is capable of preventingpeeling of the organic resin layer. Further, even when there is a crackin the organic resin layer and a metal surface is the exposed stateunder a wet environment, corrosion does not proceeds easily, and elutionof components of the metal material constituting the container can besuppressed.

Steel Sheet Base Material

The base material is not particularly limited. For example, there can beused a hot-rolled steel sheet such as based on an aluminum-killed steelcontinuously cast material, a cold-rolled steel sheet obtained bycold-rolling the hot-rolled steel sheet, and a steel sheet thatcomprises the hot-rolled or cold-rolled steel sheet and a plated layerthereon including metal, such as Zn, Sn, Ni, Cu and Al. Among them, forthe purpose of making the Zr amount larger, which is an object of thepresent invention, a steel sheet without a metal-plated layer, or evenwhen a plated layer is prepared, a steel sheet with iron exposed in apart of its surface is most preferably used.

The thickness of the base material is not particularly limited and canbe selected according to the purpose of use, but preferably 0.07 to 0.4mm.

Organic Resin Coating

The resin constituting an organic resin layer coating thesurface-treated steel sheet obtained according to the present inventionis, though not particularly limited to, can be selected according to thepurpose of use of the surface-treated steel sheet of the presentinvention (for example, for use as a can container to be filled up witha specific content). For example, a resin coating composed of varioustypes of thermoplastic resins, or a coating layer composed of athermosetting coating or thermoplastic coating may be used. As for aresin coating composed of a thermoplastic resin, an olefin resin filmsuch as polyethylene, polypropylene, ethylene-propylene rubber,ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer, ethylene-acrylic acid ester copolymer,and ionomer, etc., or a polyester film such as polyethyleneterephthalate and polybutylene terephthalate, etc., or a polyamide filmsuch as nylon 6, nylon 66, nylon 11, and nylon 12, etc., or anunstretched or biaxially stretched thermoplastic resin such as apolyvinylchloride film and polyvinylidene chloride film, etc., may beused. Particularly preferable among these are non-oriented polyethyleneterephthalate obtained by copolymerization of isophthalic acid. Also, aresin for constituting such organic resin layer can be used singly orblended with a different resin.

When coating with a thermoplastic resin as an organic resin coating, aresin layer can be a single layer or a multi-layered resin layer formedsuch as by co-extrusion or the like. It is advantageous to use amulti-layered polyester resin layer, in that a polyester resin with acomposition excellent in adhesiveness can be selected for the baselayer, that is a surface-treated steel sheet side, and for the toplayer, a polyester resin with a composition excellent in resistance tocontent, that is extraction resistance and non-adsorbability of flavorcomponents, can be selected.

Examples of the multi-layered polyester resin layer are, when indicatedas top layer/bottom layer, polyethylene terephthalate/polyethyleneterephthalate-isophthalate, polyethylene terephthalate/polyethylenecyclohexylenedimethylene-terephtharate, polyethylene terephthalatecontaining a small amount of isophthalate-isophthalate/polyethyleneterephthalate containing a large amount of isophthalate-isophthalate,polyethylene terephthalate-isophthalate/[mixture of polyethyleneterephthalate-isophthalate and polybutylene terephthalate-adipate],etc., but of course, not limited to these examples. A thickness ratio oftop layer:bottom layer is preferably within the range of 5:95 to 95:5.

For an organic resin layer, known compounding agents for a resin, forexample, anti-blocking agent such as amorphous silica or the like,inorganic filler, various types of antistatic agents, lubricant,antioxidant, ultraviolet absorber, etc., can be mixed according to aknown formula.

Of those above, tocopherol (vitamin E) is preferable. Tocopherol isknown as an antioxidant for improving dent resistance by preventingdecrease in the molar amount due to oxidative decomposition during heattreatment of a polyester resin. Specifically, when tocopherol is mixedto a polyester composition prepared by mixing the ethylene polymer tothe polyester resin as a modified resin component, even when a crack isgenerated in the layer due to exposure to harsh conditions such asretorting sterilization or hot vendor, etc., not only resistance to dentis obtained, but also the progress of corrosion from the crack can beprevented and an effect of improvement in corrosion resistance can beobtained.

Tocopherol is preferably mixed in an amount of 0.05 to 3% by weight, andmore particularly 0.1 to 2% by weight.

The thickness of the organic resin coating applied to a surface-treatedsteel sheet obtained according to the present invention is within therange of 3 to 50 μm in general and particularly, to be within the rangeof 5 to 40 μm is preferable for a thermoplastic resin coating. In thecase of a coating film, the thickness after baking is preferably withinthe range of 1 to 50 μm and particularly, to be within the range of 3 to30 μm is preferable. When the thickness is less than the above range,corrosion resistance becomes insufficient and when the thickness is morethan the above range, a problem may arise in the point ofprocessability.

Generation of an organic resin layer on a surface-treated steel sheetobtained according to the present invention can be performed by anymeans. For example, in the case of a thermoplastic resin coating, anextrusion coating method, a cast layer thermal adhesion method, and abiaxially-stretched layer thermal adhesion method or the like, can beused. When the extrusion coating method is used, an organic resin layercan be generated by coating the surface-treated metal material with apolyester resin in a molten state by extrusion and thermal bonding. Inother words, after melt-kneading the polyester resin with an extruder,the polyester resin is extruded from a T-die in the form of a thin film,the extruded molten resin film is delivered through a pair of laminatingrolls together with the surface-treated metal material to be pressed andcombined together with cooling, and then immediately cooled. Whencoating with a multi-layered polyester resin layer by extrusion, anextruder for the top resin layer and an extruder for the bottom resinlayer are used. Resin flows from each extruder are merged in amulti-layer-extrusion-die and then extrusion coating is performed as inthe case of a single-layer resin. Also, by delivering a surface-treatedmetal material between a pair of laminating rolls and by supplying amolten-resin web to both sides, a polyester resin coating layer can beformed on both surfaces of the substrate.

Specifically, manufacturing of an organic-resin-coated surface-treatedsteel sheet with an organic resin layer composed of a polyester resinwith the extrusion coating method is performed as follows. Asurface-treated steel sheet is heated in advance as needed with a heaterand supplied to the nip position located between a pair of laminatingrolls. Meanwhile, the polyester resin is extruded to a thin film througha die head of the extruder, supplied between the laminating roll and thesurface-treated steel sheet and bonded with compression to thesurface-treated steel sheet with the laminating rolls. The laminatingrolls are kept at a constant temperature, and used to thermally bond thethin film composed of a thermoplastic resin such as polyester to thesurface-treated steel sheet by thermal bonding and also cool thesurface-treated steel sheet from both sides after thermal bonding toobtain an organic-resin coated surface-treated steel sheet. In general,the organic-resin coated surface-treated steel sheet is furthersubjected to an immediate cooling by leading to a cooling water bath orthe like to avoid heat crystallization.

In this extrusion coating method, crystallinity of the polyester resinlayer is suppressed to a low level, that is a difference of 0.05 g/cm³or less from the non-crystalline density, that satisfactoryprocessability is assured for the subsequent can-making processing andlid processing, etc. Of course, the immediate cooling operation is notlimited to the above examples, and the laminated sheet can also beimmediately cooled by spraying cooling water to the createdorganic-resin-coated surface-treated steel sheet.

Thermal bonding of the polyester resin to the surface-treated steelsheet is conducted using the quantity of heat held by the molten-resinlayer and the quantity of heat held by the surface-treated steel sheet.The heating temperature (T₁) for the surface-treated steel sheet is 90°C. to 290° C. in general, and in particular, a temperature of 100° C. to280° C. is suitable, whereas, for the laminating rolls, a temperaturewithin the range of 10° C. to 150° C. is suitable.

Further, the organic resin layer of the surface-treated steel sheetobtained according to the manufacturing method of the present inventioncan be also manufactured by thermally bonding a polyester resin filmmade in advance with the T-die method or inflation film-formation methodto the surface-treated steel sheet. As for the film, an unstretched filmprepared with the cast molding method in which the extruded film isimmediately cooled can also be used. Also, a biaxially-stretched filmobtained by biaxially stretching this film at a stretching temperature,either subsequently or simultaneously, and thermally fixing the filmafter stretching can also be used.

Metal Container Can

A can body fabricated from a surface-treated steel sheet obtainedaccording to the present invention, can be made with any can-makingmethod as far as it is fabricated from the above-mentionedorganic-resin-coated surface-treated steel sheet. The can body can be athree-piece can (welded can) with a joint on its side, a seamless can(two-piece can), or a can lid. However, as previously mentioned, fromthe viewpoint of utilizing a surface-treated steel sheet with a large Zramount by taking into account adhesiveness to an organic resin,application to a seamless can is most preferable.

The seamless cans may be produced such that the organic resin layer islocated inside the can, by any conventionally known means, such asdrawing process, drawing/redrawing process, stretching process viadrawing/redrawing, stretching/ironing process via drawing/redrawing, ordrawing/ironing process.

Also, for the seamless cans produced through the above processes, whichare produced using a highly sophisticated process, such as stretchingprocess via drawing/redrawing and stretching/ironing process viadrawing/redrawing, it is particularly preferable that the organic resinlayer is the thermoplastic resin coating by the extrusion coatingmethod.

In other words, such an organic-resin-coated surface-treated steel sheetis excellent in adhesiveness at processing, that a seamless canexcellent in coating adhesiveness even when subjected to harsh processesand excellent in corrosion resistance can be provided.

Lid

A can lid fabricated from a surface-treated steel sheet obtainedaccording to the present invention, can be made with any lid-makingmethod conventionally known to the public as far as it is fabricatedfrom the above-mentioned organic-resin-coated surface-treated steelsheet. The can lid can be a flat lid, an easy-open can lid of astay-on-tab type, or an easy-open can lid of a full-open type.

The can lid in the present invention can be formed by using theorganic-resin-coated surface-treated steel sheet of the presentinvention in various forms without restrictions.

EXAMPLES

Hereinafter, the present invention will be specifically described withreference to examples, but the present invention is not limited to theseexamples. A treating material, a degreasing agent, and an organic resinlayer used in the examples are arbitrarily selected from those availableon the market, and they are not intended to limit the method forproducing the surface-treated steel sheet of the present invention.

Further, the method for producing a surface-treated sheet and theevaluation method of each characteristic were as follows.

Step of Forming a Layer

As for the base sheet, a low-carbon steel sheet having a thickness of0.225 mm and a width of 200 mm was used. Then, the steel sheet wassubjected to alkaline electrolytic degreasing as the pretreatment andthen pickling was performed by sulfuric acid immersion. Next, the steelsheet was immersed into an electrolytic treatment liquid and subjectedto a cathode electrolytic treatment to form a compound layer containingF and composed essentially of Zr to both steel sheet surfaces. The steelsheet was then squeezed with rolls, washed with water, and further thewash water was squeezed out.

As for the electrolytic treatment liquid, an aqueous solution, of acomposition where the Zr concentration is 6000 ppm and the Fconcentration is 7000 ppm prepared by dissolving ammonium zirconiumfluoride as a Zr compound was used.

pH of electrolytic treatment liquid: 3.0 (pH adjustment was performedwith nitric acid and/or ammonia)

Temperature of electrolytic treatment liquid: 40° C.

Current density during cathode electrolytic treatment: 10 A/dm²

Energization method during cathode electrolytic treatment: A cycle of“0.15-second energization and 0.1-second stop of energization” wasperformed for several times (hereafter called as “the number ofcycles”).

Step of Adjusting the Surface

The steel sheets obtained after following the step of forming a layer,were processed in an ion-containing aqueous solution for a predeterminedtime, then the steel sheets were squeezed with rolls, washed with water,further squeezed with rolls, and dried with hot air.

Among these, some steel sheets were further subjected to warm waterwashing by immersion or spraying after immersion with warm water of 40°C. or more after having processed with the ion-containing aqueoussolution and then dried with hot air.

Further, for other steel sheets, treatment with the ion-containingaqueous solution was omitted and a process of warm water washing, whereimmersion or spraying after immersion with warm water of 90 to 95° C.,was performed. Subsequently, the warm water was squeezed out from thesteel sheet with rolls and then the steel sheet was dried with hot air.

Measurement of the Zr Amount

For the surface-treated sheet obtained in each example and comparativeexample, the Zr amount contained in the metal compound layer wasmeasured using an X-ray fluorescence spectrometer (available from RigakuCorporation, model number: ZSX100e).

Measurement of the F Amount

In a fluorescence X-ray analysis, there is a limit in microanalysis ofthe F amount in the light of quantitative accuracy. Particularly, it isdifficult to directly quantify F from a surface-treated sheet where theF amount is 1.5 mg/m² or less. After various investigations, we haveselected the following measurement method. That is, using a special cellwhich can be subjected to retort pressurization, retort treatment wasperformed for 30 minutes at 130° C. under a condition where asurface-treated sheet with a certain area is in contact with a certainamount of ultrapure water. The fluorine ions extracted to the ultrapurewater by the treatment was measured with an ion chromatograph (availablefrom Dionex, DX-320). From the obtained F concentration, the weight of Fin the ultrapure water was determined and the value was converted intothe weight of F per unit area of the surface-treated-sheet and the valuewas defined as the F amount within the layer.

Evaluation of Adhesiveness for a Can (Inner-Bottom Part), Cross-CutResistance, and Resistance to F Elution 1. Manufacturing of anOrganic-Resin-Coated Surface-Treated Steel Sheet

To the obtained surface-treated steel sheet, a 19 μm-thick stretchedfilm including polyethylene terephthalate/isophthalate copolymerizedcomposition, wherein 11 mol. % of isophthalic acid component iscontained, was bonded by thermocompression via laminating rolls to onesurface of the metal sheet that becomes the inner can-surface, and a 13μm-thick stretched film including polyethyleneterephthalate/isophthalate copolymerized composition, where 12 mol. % ofisophthalic acid component is contained, and colored to white bycontaining titanium oxide, to the other surface that becomes the outercan-surface. Then, the obtained steel sheet was immediately cooled withwater to obtain an organic-resin-coated surface-treated steel sheetwhile paying attention to maintain a certain amount of alignment to thefilm. The manufactured organic-resin-coated surface-treated steel sheetwas used in manufacture of a metal can except that a part thereof wasused for cross-cut evaluation.

2. Evaluation of Cross-Cut Resistance

To the part of the produced organic-resin-coated surface-treated sheetthat corresponds to the inner can-surface, a cross-cut scratch of 4 cmin length that reaches up to the base was made with a cutter. Then, thescratched steel sheet was immersed into a model liquid (an aqueoussolution wherein the weight concentration is 1.5% for both sodiumchloride and citric acid) for one week at 37° C. and the corrosion statewas evaluated. Next, the test piece was taken out from the model liquidand the state of peeling in the organic resin layer at the cross-cutsection and its surroundings, and the state of color changes due togeneration of corrosion products were observed and evaluated by sight.For the surroundings of the cross-cut section, “C” is indicated forthose with a color-change width or a maximum film peeling width of 2 mmor more in one side, “B” for those with 1 mm or more and less than 2 mm,and “A” for those with less than 1 mm.

3. Manufacturing of a Metal Can

To both surfaces of the obtained organic-resin-coated surface-treatedsheet, a paraffin wax was applied by electrostatic oiling, punched outto a 143 mm-diameter disk shape, and a drawn cup having a diameter of 91mm and a height of 36 mm was manufactured according to a conventionalmethod. Following this, a simultaneous drawing and ironing process wasrepeated twice to fabricate a cup having a small diameter and tallheight. The characteristics of the cup thus obtained were as follows.

Cup diameter 52.0 mm

Cup height 111.7 mm

Thickness decrease rate of can wall with respect to the original sheet30%

After dome formation, the cup was subjected to heat treatment for 60seconds at 220° C. to eliminate resin film distortion, which is thenfollowed by a trimming process of the open end edge, printing to thecurved surface, a process of neck-in to a diameter of 50.8 mm, and aflanging process to manufacture a 200 g seamless can.

4. Evaluation of Adhesiveness in Inner Can-Surface

Using a manufactured can, retort treatment was performed for 30 minutesat 125° C. after filling up with distilled water based on a usualmethod. Then, its content was removed after removing the lid from thecanbody, and cut in half on the line of 45 degrees to the rollingdirection of the surface-treated sheet. Next, the can cut in half wasimmersed to a liquid prepared by adding 0.02% by weight of surfactant to1% by weight of sodium chloride aqueous solution for one hour. After theimmersion, the can was cut further into half from the can bottom side onthe line of 135 degrees to the rolling direction and adhesiveness wasevaluated by observing the state of peeling in the cut surface of theinner can-surface bottom radius section which was cut last. “C” isindicated for those found with a peeling around the cut surface, “B” forthose with slight peeling when the cut section was touched with a needlewith a sharp end, and “A” for those where no peeling was found.

5. Evaluation of Resistance to F Elution

The manufactured can was filled with 183 g of ultrapure water andsubjected to retort treatment for 30 minutes at 130° C. Then,measurement for fluorine ions extracted into the ultrapure water wasperformed with an ion chromatograph (available from Dionex, DX-320).When F is detected, “C” was indicated, and when F was at the detectionlimit (0.1 ppm) or less, “B” was indicated.

Example 1

In the step of forming a layer, cathode electrolytic treatment wasperformed for 7 cycles to the steel sheet surface and the electrolytictreatment liquid was squeezed out. Then, the steel sheet was washed withwater at the room temperature and further, the wash water was squeezedout with rolls. Next, in the step of adjusting the surface, the steelsheet was immersed into a mixed aqueous solution at 40° C. for onesecond, wherein sodium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate were mixed, andthe pH was adjusted to 9.5. Following this, the steel sheet was furtherimmersed into hot water of 95° C. for one second, washed with waterafter the aqueous solution is squeezing out with rolls, and dried afterfurther squeezing out the wash water with rolls to obtain asurface-treated steel sheet.

Next, the Zr amount and F amount of the sheet after the step of forminga layer but before the step of adjusting the surface, and thesurface-treated steel sheet after the step of adjusting the surface weremeasured in accordance with the method described above. The results areshown in Table 1. Nevertheless, the Zr amount of the layer after thestep of adjusting the surface was almost the same as the Zr amount afterthe step of forming a layer, thus it was omitted.

Using the produced organic-resin-coated surface-treated steel sheet andmetal can, cross-cut resistance, adhesiveness at the inner can-bottompart, and resistance to F elution were evaluated. The results of theperformance evaluation are shown in Table 1.

In Table 1 and in Table 2 described later, the ion-containing aqueoussolution includes both cases where it was prepared by adding a chemicalagent accordingly to obtain the target pH and where it was preparedwhile determining the concentration of the chemical agent in advance.Only for the latter case, the concentration of the chemical agent isindicated. Further, for the pH value, the one measured at 25° C. isused. More, as for Table 1 and Table 2, “-” mark is shown in the tablefor those cases where treatment with ion-containing aqueous solution wasnot performed, and where warm water washing with water at 40° C., ormore is not performed.

Examples 2 to 22

As in Example 1, conditions and the plating amount (the Zr amount and Famount) in the step of forming a layer, conditions used in the step ofadjusting the surface and the F amount of the layer after having gonethrough the step, and the results of the performance evaluation for theorganic-resin-coated surface-treated sheet and metal can are shown inTable 1. However, in Examples 3 to 11, Example 21, and Example 22, warmwater washing was performed by immersion for the first half of thetreatment time shown in Table 1 and spraying for the second half. As forExamples 14 to 16, in the step of adjusting the surface, surfaceadjustment was performed, while using the steel sheet as the cathode, byrepeating the cycle of “0.15-second energization and 0.1-second stop ofenergization” twice in the ion-containing aqueous solution at a currentdensity of 10 A/dm².

TABLE 1 Step of forming a laver Amount coated on surface- Step ofadjusting the surface treated sheet Treatment with ion-containing NumberZr F aqueous solution of amount amount Temp. Time cycles mg/m² mg/m²Chemical agent pH ° C. Second Example 1 7 94 12 Na₂CO₃, NaHCO₃ 9.5 40 1Example 2 6 80 10 Na₂CO₃, NaHCO₃ 10.2 40 1 Example 3 12 167 26 Na₂CO₃,NaHCO₃ 10.5 40 1 Example 4 7 95 12 Na₂CO₃, NaOH 10.8 40 1 Example 5 11144 21 Na₂CO₃, NaOH 10.8 40 1.5 Example 6 8 121 17 Na₂CO₃, NaOH 10.8 401 Example 7 7 94 12 Na₂CO₃, NaOH 10.8 40 1 Example 8 12 164 24 Na₂CO₃,NaOH 11.3 40 1 Example 9 12 165 24 Na₂CO₃, NaOH 11.3 40 1 Example 10 12166 25 Na₂CO₃, NaOH 11.3 40 1 Example 11 12 160 22 — Example 12 14 21633 Na₂CO₃, 0.08 mol./lit. 11.2 45 5 Example 13 24 326 52 Na₂CO₃, 0.08mol./lit. 11.2 45 5 Example 14 8 104 14 Na₂CO₃, 0.08 mol./lit. 11.2 450.3 sec. by electrolysis Example 15 14 203 31 Na₂CO₃, 0.08 mol./lit.11.2 45 0.3 sec. by electrolysis Example 16 24 345 55 Na₂CO₃, 0.08mol./lit. 11.2 45 0.3 sec. by electrolysis Example 17 8 115 16 Na₂CO₃,HNO₃ 10.0 30 1 Example 18 12 168 25 Na₂CO₃, HNO₃ 10.0 30 2 Example 19 12152 22 Na₂CO₃, HNO₃ 9.7 30 2 Example 20 12 110 15 NH₄OH, NH₄Cl 9.2 60 2Example 21 12 155 23 NaOH, Na₂HPO₄ 12 60 1 Example 22 8 103 14 NaOH0.001 mol./lit. 10.8 60 2 Amount Warm water coated on washing surface-Performance evaluation treatment treated sheet Inner can- Temp. Time Famount Cross-cut surface Resistance ° C. Second mg/m² resistanceadhesiveness to F elution Example 1 95 1 4.2 A A B Example 2 — 5.5 B B BExample 3 95 2 4.1 A A B Example 4 95 2 0.55 B A B Example 5 95 3 1.5 AA B Example 6 95 2 1.1 A A B Example 7 40 2 2.8 A A B Example 8 40 2 8.5A A B Example 9 65 2 5.8 A A B Example 10 95 2 3.9 A A B Example 11 90 49.8 A A B Example 12 — 1.7 A A B Example 13 — 4.2 A A B Example 14 — 0.7B A B Example 15 — 1.2 A A B Example 16 — 1.7 A A B Example 17 — 5.3 A AB Example 18 — 7.5 A A B Example 19 — 8.2 A A B Example 20 — 9.8 A A BExample 21 60 2 3.2 A A B Example 22 40 2 6.4 A A B

Comparative Examples 1 to 10

As in Example 1, conditions and the plating amount (the Zr amount and Famount) for the step of forming a layer, conditions used in the step ofadjusting the surface and the F amount of the layer after having gonethrough the step, and the results of the performance evaluation for theorganic-resin-coated surface-treated sheet and metal can are shown inTable 2. However, in Comparative Examples 6 to 8 and Comparative Example10, warm water washing was performed by immersion for the first half ofthe treatment time shown in Table 2 and spraying for the second half. Asfor Comparative Example 9, in the step of adjusting the surface, surfaceadjustment was performed, while using the steel sheet as the cathode, byrepeating the cycle of “0.15-second energization and 0.1-second stop ofenergization” for 4 times in the ion-containing aqueous solution at acurrent density of 10 A/dm².

TABLE 2 Step of forming a layer Step of adjusting the surface Amountcoated on Treatment with ion-containing Number surface-treated sheetaqueous solution of Zr amount F amount Chemical Temp. Time cycles mg/m²mg/m² agent pH ° C. Second Comparative 2 43 3.1 — Example 1 Comparative4 69 9 — Example 2 Comparative 8 110 15 — Example 3 Comparative 14 19429 — Example 4 Comparative 24 331 37 — Example 5 Comparative 12 160 22 —Example 6 Comparative 12 160 22 — Example 7 Comparative 12 160 22 —Example 8 Comparative 8 104 14 Na₂CO₃, 11 45 0 6 sec. by Example 9 0.08mol./lit. electrolysis Comparative 8 105 14 NaOH 13.5 65 2 Example 10Step of adjusting the surface Warm water Amount washing coated onPerformance evaluation treatment surface- Inner can- Temp. Time F amountCross-cut surface Resistance ° C. Second mg/m² resistance adhesivenessto F elution Comparative — 3.1 C C B Example 1 Comparative — 9 C C BExample 2 Comparative — 15 B C C Example 3 Comparative — 29 B C CExample 4 Comparative — 37 B C C Example 5 Comparative 90 1 17 B C CExample 6 Comparative 90 2 14 B B C Example 7 Comparative 90 3 12 B B CExample 8 Comparative — — 0.41 C B B Example 9 Comparative 95 2 0.08 C BB Example 10

As shown in Table 1, by making the Zr amount within the layer 80 to 350mg/m² in the step of forming a layer, and by treating the steel sheetafter the step of forming a layer in the ion-containing aqueous solutionor hot water of 90° C. for a predetermined time in the step of adjustingthe surface, a steel sheet with the F amount in the layer of 0.5 mg/m²to 10 mg/m² was manufactured. In Examples 1 to 22, not only the obtainedorganic-resin-coated metal sheet was excellent in cross-cut resistance,but also adhesiveness of the inner metal-can surface, resistance to Felution, and adhesiveness of the organic resin layer were excellent.Further, even after a fabricating process and retort treatment, or evenwhen there is a crack in the resin layer, the organic resin layerexhibited excellent adhesiveness, thus it was confirmed that thecontainer was excellent in maintaining the content quality.

On the other hand, as shown in Table 2, after having gone through thestep of forming a layer, the cross-cut resistance of theorganic-resin-coated metal sheet was unsatisfactory in ComparativeExamples 1 and 2 where the Zr amount was less than 80 mg/m². As for thecan performance, although the can had resistance to F elution, it wasconfirmed that adhesiveness of the inner surface was insufficient.Though not shown in the examples, under a condition where the Zr amountwas small, it was confirmed that the above performance does not improveeven when the step of adjusting the surface is followed. Meanwhile, inComparative Examples 3 to 5, where the Zr amount was 80 mg/m² or moreand where the step of adjusting the surface was not followed, thecross-cut resistance of the organic-resin-coated metal sheet improvedbut resistance to F elution decreased. Also, improvement was notconfirmed even in Comparative Example 6, where the step of adjusting thesurface was performed for one second with hot water of 90° C. Further,in Comparative Examples 7 and 8, where the step of adjusting the surfacewas performed for 2 to 3 seconds in hot water of 90° C., adhesiveness ofthe inner can-surface improved but improvement for F elution wasunsatisfactory. In contrast, in Comparative Examples 9 and 10, whereelectrolytic treatment was excessively performed in the ion-containingaqueous solution in the step of adjusting the surface or where excesstreatment was performed using high-concentration alkali, the F amountwithin the layer became less than 0.5 mg/m². Accordingly, it wasconfirmed that, although adhesiveness of the inner can-surface andresistance to F elution were improved, cross-cut resistance was reduced.

Further, although the F amount within the layer is about 0.4 mg/m² inthe electrolytic chromic acid treated steel sheet, the F amount withinthe layer in each example was 0.5 mg/m² or more even after the step ofadjusting the surface. Accordingly, as for the surface-treated steelsheet, it has become apparent that in the case of a steel sheet with asurface-treated layer composed of a compound composed essentially of Zr,the F amount needs to be larger than that in the electrolytic chromicacid treated steel sheet.

1. A surface-treated steel sheet comprising a compound layer containingF and composed essentially of Zr at least on one surface of a steelsheet, wherein a Zr amount is 80 to 350 mg/m² and a F amount is 0.5 to10 mg/m² within the layer.
 2. An organic resin coated metal containermanufactured using a surface-treated steel sheet according to claim 1.3. A method for producing a surface-treated steel sheet having acompound layer containing F and composed essentially of Zr at least onone surface of a steel sheet, the method comprising: forming a layerwhere a Zr amount within the layer is 80 to 350 mg/m² by performing acathode electrolytic treatment to the steel sheet in an aqueous solutioncontaining a Zr ion and F ion; and adjusting a surface to control the Famount within the layer to 0.5 to 10 mg/m² by performing any one or moretreatments selected from immersion to an ion-containing aqueoussolution, spraying of the ion-containing aqueous solution, and cathodeelectrolytic treatment in the ion-containing aqueous solution.
 4. Themethod for producing a surface-treated steel sheet according to claim 3,wherein the ion-containing aqueous solution in adjusting the surface isan alkaline aqueous solution containing one or more types of ionsselected from a sodium ion, ammonium ion, and potassium ion.
 5. Themethod for producing a surface-treated steel sheet according to claim 3,wherein a pH of the ion-containing aqueous solution in adjusting thesurface is 9 or more.
 6. A method for producing a surface-treated steelsheet for forming a compound layer containing F and composed essentiallyof Zr at least on one surface of a steel sheet, the method comprising:forming a layer where a Zr amount within the layer is 80 to 350 mg/m² byperforming a cathode electrolytic treatment to the steel sheet in anaqueous solution containing a Zr ion and F ion; and adjusting thesurface to control a F amount within the layer to 0.5 to 10 mg/m² byperforming spraying and/or immersion with water of 90° C. or more to thesteel sheet.